subtropical

adjective

sub·​trop·​i·​cal ˌsəb-ˈträ-pi-kəl 

variants or less commonly subtropic

ˌsəb-ˈträ-pik 

: of, relating to, or being the regions bordering on the tropical zone

subtropical environment

subtropical grasses

Examples of subtropical in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Box tree moths are native to temperate and subtropical climates in Asia and were first reported in Ohio in June 2023. —Chad Murphy, Cincinnati Enquirer, 2 Oct. 2025

After the last row of strip malls and subdivisions, the Everglades took over, in a vast, hot expanse of subtropical wetland. —Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025

Somewhere between a sweater and a scarf, a cape is a breezy and versatile piece ideally suited to the volatile forecasts of the city’s humid subtropical climate. —Abbey Hudetz, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2025

The state benefits from fertile soils, a subtropical-to-temperate climate, and abundant natural resources, all of which support a thriving agricultural industry. —Atin Adhikari, The Conversation, 23 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1829, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for subtropical

• intertropical
• microscopical
• neotropical
• topical
• tropical

Kids Definition

subtropical

adjective

sub·​trop·​i·​cal ˌsəb-ˈträp-i-kəl 

ˈsəb-

variants also subtropic

-ˈträp-ik 

: of, relating to, or being the regions bordering on the tropical zone

subtropical forests